Powerful dog breeds: Best friends or killing machines?

Over the last few weeks, we have seen the horrific deaths of two children after being attacked by Pit bulls. This led to a petition and calls on government to ban this breed. Adding to the tragedy, after the death of one of the children, three Pit bulls were stabbed and burnt to death by the community concerned in Cape Town .  

 I love animals and dogs in particular. My life has never felt complete without a dog to share it with. Currently, two gorgeous Golden Retrievers, Hugo and Blue, share (or perhaps rule) my life. Through the years I have also owned Border Collies and a Staffie (or Staffordshire Bullterrier).

I agree with those who say that there is no breed that is inherently bad – only bad owners.  Many people should never own dogs. They do not understand dogs, nor do they have the time, dedication, or financial means to own a dog. 

It is of course, not enough to feed a dog and play with it every now and then. All dogs need attention, training and lots of exercise. They also need to be dealt with love and care. Any dog – even the most loving Labrador, that experiences cruelty or neglect can become violent out of fear, anxiety, or frustration.  

However, even dog lovers often own the wrong breed of dog. It is important to understand the characteristics of the dogs and why they were originally bred. This can prevent disasters and ensure that the dog’s needs are met. For example: Border Collies want to run – and not just around the block, but for miles. So, unless you live on a farm or are willing to exercise your dog for hours every day, you shouldn’t own one of them. 

In contrast, Golden Retrievers need far less exercise, but will never be able to pass any water without getting into it. So, beware if you have a fishpond with precious koi or don’t like wet, muddy dogs on your white furniture. 

Chihuahuas bark… a lot… as do most small breeds. So, if you are noise sensitive, look elsewhere. 

 The question then arises whether some of the most powerful breeds, such as Pit bulls, Rottweilers, Staffies etc. are inherently aggressive. I can vouch that some of the best dogs I have ever encountered have been Pit bulls, Staffies or Rottweilers. My own Staffie was the best dog I ever had (don’t tell Hugo and Blue). She loved my children and “minded” my babies as if they were her own. 

However, there is no denying that given the size and/or strength of the more powerful breeds, they can inflict severe injuries and even kill other dogs and humans if things go wrong. 

The question is then what lies behind these attacks?

In my view there are several factors:

Firstly, the dogs are badly bred. Unscrupulous breeders often deliberately breed with the more aggressive dogs to strengthen that characteristic. Alternatively, they cross certain breeds to make them even more powerful and aggressive. For example, American Pit bulls are often crossed with Boerboels, making them twice as strong. 

Secondly: owners do not socialize their dogs, nor do they take them for training. 

 Many people don’t understand that if you don’t socialize dogs with people - including children - as well as other dogs from puppy days, they will not know how to interact with them as mature dogs and an unsure dog can easily resort to violence. 

We spent months and months training our Staffie as a puppy. She took a lot more work than the lazy and more eager to please Retrievers. We constantly socialized her with other dogs and she needed a lot of daily exercise till the end of her life. 

Thirdly, many (I would argue most) people do not teach their children how to behave around dogs. I often shudder when I see parents encouraging their toddlers to give a strange dog a hug or to stroke them. I also worry when children shriek out of fear or run away when they see a dog – since that can also elicit the wrong response from the animal. 

Parents should teach children to ask owners for permission before approaching a dog and to freeze when a dog runs up to them too fast. Toddlers in particular are at risk and should never be left unsupervised around dogs. When approaching a bigger dog, they are usually on the same eye height and therefore look the dog straight in the eye. If a dog is unsure and especially if s/he feels cornered (such as in a restaurant) they can perceive the eye-to-eye contact as an aggressive challenge and retaliate. It is for this reason that toddlers, more than other age groups, are attacked. 

I hope it goes without saying that parents should also teach children never to hit a dog.

Of course, this is all good and well, but most people don’t follow these rules and when a powerful breed then attacks either pets or humans, the outcome is almost always disastrous. 

I believe that the government should pass laws that both owners and breeders of certain types of breeds should be registered. No backyard breeding should be tolerated and unlicensed breeding should be heavily penalized. 

In addition, anyone who wants to own a powerful breed of dog should have to apply with the SPCA. Before given permission to own one of these dogs, the applicant should successfully pass a training course.  They must then be referred to one of the registered breeders and only be given temporary ownership of the dog until they can prove that the dog has been neutered and that both owner and dog have passed the necessary training course led by a registered professional trainer.  

This would not only reduce the number of breeders but also unsuitable owners, reducing the huge number of powerful breeds being surrendered to pounds every year. Most importantly, it would reduce attacks.

The problem is of course enforcement – especially since the SPCA is severely underfunded. However, the only other alternative is to ban the breeds completely.

As is often the case with nature, humans have created a problem through greed, neglect and ignorance. It must be solved through stricter regulation – not only to safeguard people and especially children, but also to protect what should be wo/man’s best friend.